Thirteenth Incident
The Thirteenth Incident (13-16 September 3699) was the opening conflict in the First InterRealms War and was the invasion of Inner Realm 13 by the Holy Austros Empire (HAE), a group of Realms located in the OuterRealms system. The battle took place in Realm 13 and was spread over a large front. It was the first time the newly formed Thirteenth Confederation saw any real combat in its borders and proved to be a test of Realm 13's heavy focus on technology. Despite the bravery of the Thirteenth Confederation, the forces of the HAE were able to establish initial beachheads in Realm 13. The fighting continued without supernatural involvement until the third day when a prayer was answered by the Thirteenth Realm's Premier Deity Alvino Castillon-MythiKa. With the prayer answered, he quickly deployed PSICOM and called for help from the Ninth Realm via their armed forces. PSICOM's deployment and the Ninth Realm's Army's entrance into the incident caused the HAE to halt their assault and take up defensive positions. However, this change in strategy was to no effect, as members of House MythiKa quickly joined the fight in Realm 13 and turned the tide. With their help and the arrival of Azada MythiKa, the forces of the Empire found themselves unable to hold, and eventually collapsed in the face of a united Inner Realms front. The Thirteenth Incident proved to become a very critical moment, as it changed the nature of the workings of theopolitics. Before, there were only the Inner Realms, which consisted of 15 different Realms ran by Four Major Pantheons. However, this incident proved there were more Realms beyond the Realmshield. This area became collectively known as the Outer Realms. This incident was shortly followed by Azada MythiKa's storming of the closest Outer Realms, numbered Outer Realms 1-6. In response, the Holy Austros Empire activated Titania, and engaged in a vicious war with Realm 13 known as Titania's War Background Not much is known on what caused this incident to occur. Most waved off the attack as a mere test by the Deities, made to prove to these higher powers that they are capable of taking care of themselves. Recently however, much discussion has occurred by theopolitical experts, a field that has been growing directly due to the Thirteenth Incident, on the reasons for the attack. Out of the ongoing discussions, ttwo major theories have arisen as the potential answer to the question of why this all began. Theory: Barbarians at the Gate The theory most commonly referenced is the "Barbarians at the Gate" theory, in which the Holy Austros Empire played the "barbarians", and Realm 13 played the "gate". In this scenario, the Empire was not seeking a personal vendetta, but rather wanted to expand its borders to include a technological center. Given the location of Realm 13 within the Realmshield, its position could be considered quite valuable. In the words of Dr. Stephens Vernard: "The Austros Empire was not looking at a personal grudge against the Inner Realms in particular. Rather, they were looking to build themselves up against potential outside threats, and wished to hold a potentially strategic position. By taking Realm 13, not only do they have access to its technology, but they have a foot in the door of the Inner Realms." -The Outer Barbarians: The Day we Held the Gates, pg. 45 There are issues with this theory of course. This theory does not sufficiently explain Eidolia's involvement in the slightest. In fact, in the latter half of the war, he often spoke of "destroying his cousin's success", further putting holes in the theory. Another major issue stems from the lack of evidence on how the Empire was able to find the location of Realm 13. The Empire could not have known where Realm 13 was, as their was absolutely no previous contact between the Inner and Outer Realms. Many scholars argue that for this reason, Realm 13 was an "accidental target", where the Empire simply picked a random location to attack in the hopes of finding a luxurious target. This alternate theory still does not completely explain Eidolia's involvement however, which leads to the second potential theory. Theory: Eidolia's Vendetta This theory claims that Eidolia had a personal vendetta against Alvino and/or all of Realm 13. Eidolia may have learned of the advancements his cousin had made and became quite jealous of Alvino's success. As a result, he potentially ordered the Holy Austros Empire, which he was in charge of, to make their way towards Realm 13 and attack it in the hopes of crushing Alvino's work. This theory sufficiently explains the supernatural involvement of Eidolia, and is often the theory argued by many clergymen. However, there are still problems with this theory. Eidolia may not have had a way to know of Alvino's success, once again due to the lack of any contact between the two sides. For this reason, it would be difficult to imagine that he would be able to find Realm 13 without assistance. An alternative theory suggest that he may have decided to run from a potentially greater threat further in the Outer Realms that hadn't been discovered yet. Opening Movements The Holy Austros Empire invaded Realm 13 on September 13, 3699. Heavily armored troops landed shortly before dawn near Kariso on the surface of Realm 13 via a portal created by unknown forces. The Empire noted that it was engaging in "rightful intervention in the dangers of the Deity Alvino Castillon", despite not receiving authorization from the House Castille, the major supernatural force behind the Empire. Given the unexpected attack, the Almanianian forces based in the city were unaware of the impending danger and were quickly caught off guard. Over the next few hours, more Austros troops arrived through the portal and struck at the East of the Iryias, a member of the Thirteenth Confederation. As a result, the Almanianian Union declared war upon the Holy Austros Empire and sent troops to Iryias. Galt City said it was invoking its right under the Confederation charter, which called for mutual defense against "any hostile actions upon a member of the Confederation". Other members of the Confederation soon declared war and sent troops under the Confederation Central Command (CCC). Despite the rapid response of the Confederation, the Empire established beachheads all along the Republic of Iryias and made initial forays into the Almanianian Union. The overwhelming amount of Austros forces along the front and the war between the Almanianian Union and Relinada led to a near collapse of Confederation forces. By the end of the second day, the Empire was 20 km outside of Relis, the capitol of Iryias and the city was being shelled around the clock. Supernatural Intervention and PSICOM BE EXPANDED Aftermath and Legacy BE EXPANDED Category:Conflicts